PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Call of Support for March Against Police Brutality and Racism
by Pittsburgh Organizing Group (POG) Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006 at 4:42 PM
pog@mutualaid.org

POG calls on the greater Pittsburgh community to support youth organizers fighting police racism and brutality.

Saturday, August 26 at 7:00pm South Braddock and Schoyer Avenue in Swissvale (gather across from the Applebee's parking lot in Edgewood Town Center)

To get there by bus, you can take the 61B from Oakland

Young people in Edgewood and Swissvale have, over the past several months, become aware of a source of injustice in their communities, the local police. Out of a desire to take a more active role in their community they began talking more with their neighbors. These conversations, and subsequent personal observations, convinced them that local police are engaged in a pattern of unjust harassment and brutality against some sectors of the local community.

In response this group of 13 and 14 year olds are planning an August 26 march in order to raise awareness of police brutality, and its connections to racism. The group they've formed, Let's Stand Up, has spent the last month outreaching to the local community, Meeting with faith leaders and flyering throughout town. They also met with the local police in order to make them aware of their complaints and what they were planning. In response the police have threatened the organizers with arrest and violence if they go ahead with their plans, detained them while flyering, prevented them from filming their interactions with the police (saying they would be "arrested for interfering with official police business"), and called at least one person's parents as part of this campaign of harassment.

It's worth pointing out that on March 30, 2003 an anti-war march went through Edgewood. Literally one minute before it was scheduled to end the police attacked the non-violent crowd, pepper-spraying dozens. They then attacked people on the sidewalk, kicking and assaulting them. Later they sought to justify their brutality with completely fabricated and pathetic claims that protesters had thrown batteries.

It seems likely that the youth organizers of this action will be targeted for arrest and the possibility of violent police action exists. Those with privilege, even when due to an unjust and exploitative system they are working to undermine, have a special responsibility to support groups and communities. It is the responsibility of older activists to stand in solidarity with young people taking action, and it is the responsibility of white activists to take a stand on an issue most impacting communities of color.

Let's Stand Up- The organizers of the events can be reached at: lets_stand_up@yahoo.com

POG, the issuers of this call for support can be contacted at pog@mutualaid.org

http://www.organizepittsburgh.org

www.organizepittsburgh.org/

awesome
by pgh anarchist Thursday, Aug. 17, 2006 at 5:56 PM

the kids organizing this are awesome. we need more cats taking the initiative in their own communities and organizing like this!

i'll be there with you guys, hopefully being targetted for arrest.

i
by i Thursday, Aug. 17, 2006 at 11:26 PM

Cool, are AAA batteries better or should we bring D cells?

302, me please
by i for imagination Friday, Aug. 18, 2006 at 11:29 AM

Ah, the hallucinatory batteries...
I forgot that overweight men who sit in cars all day are prone to terrifying visions if they get out of those cars.

-
by - Friday, Aug. 18, 2006 at 3:33 PM

oh the battery myth. might as well put it with the acid. or maybe the urine filled supersoakers.

i
by i Friday, Aug. 18, 2006 at 10:42 PM

Jeez, just trying to get the right voltage to combat the jack booted thugs.

mad pig disease
by i for imagination Saturday, Aug. 19, 2006 at 4:37 AM

Try throwing Little Debbie snack cakes, Whoppers, and pre-teenage girls. Then tell them that they'll be getting 'bought out' by their heroin colleague, ala John Pokorny. The combination will stop their calcified hearts and a lack of voltage, in the form of not enough defibrilators, will cause the sweet sounds of bagpipes playing 'Amazing Grace' to echo through the East Hills.

Karr an anarchist?
by i Saturday, Aug. 19, 2006 at 12:12 PM

"It is the responsibility of older activists to stand in solidarity with young people taking action"

Sounds like y'all got the pedophile angle wrapped up nicely...

---
by i Sunday, Aug. 20, 2006 at 1:49 AM

that was one of the dumbest comments I've ever seen on indymedia.

Tabloid Fan
by i Sunday, Aug. 20, 2006 at 2:37 PM

Who is Karr? Does he wear the stupid wrap-around, bug-eyed, rainbow colored sunglasses that young, dumb, cops love?

Permit for march?
by Edgewood supporter and resident Sunday, Aug. 20, 2006 at 8:51 PM

Kudos to the youth who are organizing this much-needed march. I live in Edgewood, and I'd like to participate in the march. There's no information about whether the organizers have obtained a permit. Could they provide an update about whether they will obtain a permit for the action?

curious for details
by Ken Sunday, Aug. 20, 2006 at 9:46 PM

hey what specific events and incidents have occurred lately that drove residents to organize the demonstration? read the summary posted and it offers no real concrete details. living right by mt oliver i know how cops can be and how they often do more harm then good in our city sections. please help out anyone and provide details of what is happening over there

about the permit
by Ryan Monday, Aug. 21, 2006 at 5:45 PM

The organizers of this event tried to get a permit. They were told something along the lines that Edgewood didn't do that or something. I don't know whether permits are normally given out or not, but this seems to go along with the other statements and examples of repression that these organizers have been facing in setting up this march. Along with being told that they would be arrested whether OR NOT there was any violence, being detained for flyering, and other similar harrassment, it doesn't seem to be much of a surprise that the organizers of the march were not able to obtain a permit. They do, however, have a fair amount of community support because of all the community outreach that they have done. Hopefully the community can come together for this important march and show that the only permit they need is their solidarity against racism and brutal cops.

Denied a permit?
by Edgewood supporter and resident Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2006 at 10:10 PM

Ryan, the author of "about the permit," responded to my question about whether the event organizers obtained a permit by vaguely stating, "The organizers of this event tried to get a permit. They were told something along the lines that Edgewood didn't do that or something." If the organizers truly wanted to draw attention to the police's repressive behavior, then why wouldn't they have publicized their refusal to grant them a permit? It would lend support to their claim that the police abuse their authority and single out nonwhite residents in and visitors to Edgewood and Swissvale for abuse. Plus, it would be a great way to publicize the event in the media. It sounds to me like the organizers inquired about getting a permit, but didn't follow through. If that's the case, then state it. I understand that some groups choose to hold unpermitted events, and the individuals they invite to participate are aware of it. However, in this case, it is irresponsible for organizers to advertise the event widely without explaining that it is not permitted. The vague worded demand that "[t]hose with privilege . . . have a special responsibility to support groups and communities" also rings hollow. Which "groups and communities" are the intended audiences of this action? It isn't clear from the call to action. As an "older activist," to use the words from the call to action, how can I meaningfully "stand in solidarity with young people taking action" when I am not clear what they hope to address by staging such an action? I fear that my participation will reduce me to the gawking passersby who may squint at the crowd, trying to ascertain what is happening.

If the organizers can clarify the permit situation and their specific grievances and impetus for the protest, then you can count on me to mobilize other disgruntled citizens. It won't take much to convince me, but at least try by offering more detail. Please.

weird
by pgh anarchist Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2006 at 11:21 PM

it sounds like the poster above is demanding to know every detail about what the organizers said when they went into the local government office, under the threat of not using their influence to "mobilize" "disgruntled citizens". it honestly sounds ridiculous.

Information is not an Indictment
by C Saturday, Aug. 26, 2006 at 1:28 PM

Rereading the post, it didn't strike me as demanding. Here you have a concerned sympathizer, looking for info...a seemingly intelligent sympathizer who is somewhat questioning what they are told (a person after my own heart!)

I saw nothing resembling a demand. Is there some phantom fear of questioning motives? Is there some persecution complex here? Jeeeeessssuusss. They just want to be informed---the same we ask of the ones we question. The same thing we expect.

And how do we react when we are called ridiculous for asking for honest information? I would like you to just think about what you think when it is you....

Of course my definition of a demand is when you say: "I DEMAND TO BE TOLD XYZ! NOWWWWW!!!!!" I think one can reasonably say that is a demand. This is not. Period.

Hey, Edgewood Supporter, I down with you. Good Job!

..
by .. Saturday, Aug. 26, 2006 at 2:54 PM

well, here's an idea. instead of random anonymous postings on imc why don't people email the organizers? it always strikes me as absurd that there is so much time wasted bickering here over info. guess who knows the answers to the quesions being asked? the youth organizers? guess what jagoffs may or may not know the answers? people posting here. i get the impression that is what frustrates people. info is initially posted so interested parties can take it upon themselves to follow up.

from ryan
by Ryan Tuesday, Sep. 19, 2006 at 2:28 AM
satygrahi@hotmail.com

Ok. This is Ryan. I'm replying to the Edgewood supporter who inquired whether we really tried to get a permit or not. Well, I guess, number one, I wasn't an organizer. I helped with what I could, but without being a resident of Edgewood, I don't feel that it's my place to primarily organize an anti-racist/anti-police brutality rally/march in a town that I don't know. The facts are that I knew the organizers and understood that fucked up things happen in different neighborhoods for fucked up reasons that happen all over the place. Regardless, the organizers DID try to get a permit. What I said about the permit, DID happen. The people that organized this did try to make this a "legally" organized event and got fucked for it. If you want to figure out the reasons for this, we can talk about that. If you want to criticize the organizers, you should wait til you talk to them at least. Right now, you are not talking to a resident of Edgewood. I can't answer all your questions. But I can talk about what happened. People tried to keep shit legal, and although it wasn't, the cops knew they shouldn't do shit. We tried to organize the community; we didn't try to fight the cops. But I'll damn sure be there when we do. Keep it gangster.